


The One with the Wedding and the Pregnancy Test

by southsidewrites



Series: The Southside Serpents as F.R.I.E.N.D.S. [4]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Bughead wedding, Comedy, Cute, F/M, Fluff, Friends AU, Friendship, Funny, Future Fic, Humor, Love, Old Friends, POV Second Person, Pregnancy, Pregnancy Scares, Reader Insert, Romance, The Southside Serpents, Unplanned Pregnancy, Wedding, reader POV, serpent friends, serpent trio
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-31
Updated: 2018-11-16
Packaged: 2019-05-16 16:18:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14814702
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/southsidewrites/pseuds/southsidewrites
Summary: It's the weekend of Betty and Jughead's wedding, and everything is out of control.  The groom's already disappeared when someone finds a positive pregnancy test in the bride's trash, and things only get crazier from there.  The friend group may be welcoming a new member soon, but no one's quite sure who's actually pregnant.Chapter One: The One with Betty and Jughead's WeddingChapter Two: The One with the Red SweatshirtChapter Three: The One with the UltrasoundBased on the Season 7 Finale and Season 8 Premier of Friends; A Multi-Chapter Fic in The Southside Serpents as F.R.I.E.N.D.S. Anthology





	1. The One with Betty and Jughead's Wedding

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading! This will be a three part fic. Part One will be mostly Bughead-centric, and Part Two and Three will be Sweet Pea x Reader-centric. Enjoy!

“You’ve reached the Jones’s—please leave a message after the beep, and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible.  Thanks!” Betty’s voice chirped out of the phone, and Jughead’s heart started pounded.  The Jones’s.  He and Betty were about to be the Jones’s.  Betty Jones.  Elizabeth Jones.  It didn’t have a bad ring to it by any means, but the sound of it made his stomach start doing backflips.

“Why the hell do you two still have a landline?” Sweet Pea asked with a smirk. “It is 2018, you know.”

Betty rolled her eyes, her grin still uncontainable. “Because, Sweet Pea, it was free with the internet package.” She turned to her fiancé and squeezed his hand lightly. “You okay, Juggie?  You’re looking a little pale.”

Jughead quickly shook his head, and you couldn’t help but think he did look a little sick.  You shrugged it off, assuming it was just pre-wedding jitters.  This time tomorrow, you would all be at the wedding, and that had to be at least a little nerve-wracking.  You glanced back down at your phone, swallowing back a sudden wave of nausea as it overcame you.  Maybe Jughead wasn’t the only one feeling a little under the weather.

“So, Jughead,” Fangs said. “Ready for the big rehearsal dinner tonight?  How long has it been since your parents have seen each other?”

Jughead gulped back what could only be nerves. “It’s been a while.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Toni reassured him, looking up from her own phone to make eye contact with him. “Everyone’s here for you guys, and they can all hold back their differences for a little while.”

“I sure hope so,” Jughead sighed.

Betty scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist. “Relax, babe.  It’ll be good, I promise.  And even if it’s not, it’ll be over before you know it.  Then—” Her soft, concerned expression broke into a wide smile. “We’ll be married!”

Jughead smiled, and you and Toni gave each other a look.  He looked awkward, painful almost.  Once again, you hoped it was just pre-wedding jitters.

_Please, please, please do not let there be any drama_ , you silently wished.  _Just let this weekend go smoothly._

* * *

“And to Betty and Jughead,” F.P. toasted, holding up his glass of sparkling grape juice. “May your marriage be strong, and may you not make the same mistakes we did.”

The toast earned a small, awkward chuckle, and you couldn’t help but cringe.  Dear god, F.P. could be dense sometimes.  Next to you, Sweet Pea’s expression mirrored yours.

“Damn, dude just had to bring up her dad being a serial killer, didn’t he?” he leaned toward you and muttered under his breath. “Way to go, F.P.”

You held back a snort of laughter and lowered your voice to match his. “Or maybe the fact this his own wife up and left with one of his kids.”

Sweet Pea cringed again, and then he smiled widely.  Things were finally starting to go back to normal between the two of you, and you intended to cling to it for as long as possible. “Well, I think I need another drink,” he sighed, his voice back to normal volume. “Want something, Y/N?”

Your eyes flicked to your untouched glass of champagne. “Just a Diet Coke.”

He gave you a skeptical look. “D.D. or something?”

You shrugged. “Hey, I need to get Betty home safely tonight.”

“Whatever you say, Y/N,” he laughed, starting back towards the bar. “Whatever you say.”

Rolling your eyes, you took another sip of water and watched your surroundings.  The small reception hall Betty and Jughead rented was nearly filled to the brim with people.  Everyone from the prim and proper Coopers, to the drop-dead gorgeous Veronica Loge on one side and way too much leather, tattoos and piercings on the other.  Of course, you were on the leather and tattoos side, the faint outline of a double-headed snake nearly visible through the thin, flowy material of your sleeve.

You had been a Serpent nearly as long as Sweet Pea, longer even than Toni and Fangs, but the four of you had been inseparable since you barely knee height.  When Jughead and Betty had joined your group back in high school, it had been a welcome addition.  Now, here you all were, done with college, living in New York City, and at a rehearsal dinner for Betty and Jughead’s wedding.  It was a lot to take in.

“Earth to Y/N,” Toni laughed. “You’re spacing, girl—what’s up?”

You shrugged. “Just pondering, that’s all.”

“Pondering what?” she asked, downing another sip of her drink.

“How much we’re all growing up.  I mean, we’re real adults now.”

“I’m aware,” she laughed. “And I’m glad because if we weren’t, there would be no way we’d be able to afford our apartment.”

Rolling your eyes, you smiled softly. “And it’s still nowhere near as nice as Betty and Jughead’s.”

“Nope, but it’s infinitely better than Sweet Pea’s.”

“Now if only we could get Fangs to move out.” You sat up straighter, leaning against the table. “I mean, sure, we do have three bedrooms, and Sweet Pea does live in a studio, but come on, don’t you think they’d be better off together—build the bromance, you know.”

It was her turn to roll her eyes. “Try telling Fangs that—he likes living with us.”

“Only because we actually cook real food most of the time.”

“Most?  I’d say half at best.”

You laughed and looked up to see Betty and Jughead kissing at the front table as a row of people walked past to congratulate them.  There wasn’t a doubt in your mind that they would do just fine.

* * *

 

“Wait, what?” you demanded, looking between a very distressed Toni and Fangs. “Jughead’s what?”

“He’s gone,” Toni explained.  The three of you were all crammed into Betty and Jughead’s tiny bathroom where Fangs was clutching a handwritten note that read, _Tell Betty I’m sorry._

“He must have panicked and bolted.” Fangs added. “I found the note this morning when I woke up.”

“Well, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s gone,” Toni suggested. “I mean, maybe the pen died halfway through.  Maybe it means, tell Betty I’m sorry—I’m sorry—that—that—I’m so ugly!”

You and Fangs both gave her unamused looks. “That I’m so ugly?” you asked, your voice slow. “Why on earth would he write that?”

“He wasn’t there when I woke up this morning, Toni,” Fangs asserted. “He snuck out in the middle of the night—what the hell else could it mean?”

“Jeez, guys, sorry for trying to assume the best,” she snapped.  She shifted her weight, crossing and uncrossing her arms a few times. “We need to find him, find him and bring him back.”

“Agreed,” Fangs said.

“Well thank fucking god Jughead spent the night at our place,” you sighed. “I though the whole spending a night apart thing before the wedding was nonsense, but right now, it might be the only thing saving this wedding.”

“That’s true.” Fangs checked his phone. “And I already called Sweet Pea to come help us look.”

“Okay, good.” You exhaled slowly, trying to wrap your mind around a plan. “You three go find him, and I’ll stay here and keep Betty distracted.  She should have enough to do getting ready that she won’t notice something’s up.”

Fangs nodded. “Good plan.” His phone buzzed. “And Sweet Pea’s here.  I’m going to go run and let him in.” He darted out of the bathroom, leaving you and Toni alone.

“Good.” You exhaled deeply, sitting on the closed toilet. “Fuck, this is a mess.”

Toni had fallen silent, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.

“What the hell, T?”

She was pointing at the garbage can. “And I think it just got a whole lot messier.”

Sticking out of the garbage was a small plastic stick—a pregnancy test.  The little blue plus sign was clear even from a distance.

Your eyes widened, and your heart started to pound. “Holy shit.”

“Betty’s pregnant.”

* * *

“Alright,” Betty chirped, prancing around the apartment. “Today’s the day!  Let’s get excited everyone!”

Having already snuck Toni out, you were alone with a very excited, very oblivious Betty. “I know!” You did your best to sound excited, but there was no way she would fall for it.

“I need to start getting ready,” she said, her grin still undisturbed. “Let me grab my makeup bag, and we’ll do that, then my hair.”

“Bets, wait—”

She had already rushed into the bathroom to get the bag.  A moment later, she reappeared, setting the bag on the kitchen table in front of a small mirror. “Y/N, can you help me with my eyes?  You’re so good at eyes, and I—”

“Betty, wait.” You were frantically trying to come up with a distraction to keep her from getting ready so soon. “We, um, I need to talk to you about something.”

“What’s that?” Her eyes had narrowed slightly, but her hand was still on her eyeliner.

“I—um—what if I never get married?” You broke down, trying to let the flurry of false emotion overtake you as you sat down next to her. “What if I never find the right guy?”

“You will,” she said quickly. “I bet he’s right around the corner.”

“But what if he’s not,” you moaned, resting your head in your arms. “What if I have to be alone forever?”

She barely gave you a glance before digging through her bag to find her eyelash curler. “You won’t be.”

“I don’t know,” you said dramatically, rushing out of your seat and doing everything you could to get her attention. “Maybe I should just become a lesbian.”

“Any woman would be lucky to have you.”

You groaned silently.  Time to pull out the big guns. “Maybe I’ll just sleep with Fangs.”

At that, her eyes shot open, and she flew up from the table to your side. “Oh my god, Y/N, are you okay?”

* * *

 

“Jughead, what the hell are you doing here?” Sweet Pea asked, not in the mood for any more crap as he walked up to his friend.

Jughead looked up with a start as he saw his three best friends walking into the abandoned field that had once been the Twilight Drive-In. “More like what the hell are _you_ doing here?”

“Getting you,” Toni said, dropping onto the ground next to him. “What’s up, Jug?”

“Nothing,” Jughead insisted, ripping out patches of grass from the ground below him. “I just needed some space, that’s all.”

“Some space?” Sweet Pea demanded. “Taking a quick walk to the park would be some space.  Driving four hours back to Riverdale to mope at the old drive-in is not space.”

“Pea,” Fangs warned, shouldering him aside to get to Jughead. “Stop being an ass.”  He turned his gaze back on Jughead. “Now let’s talk, dude.  What’s up?”

Jughead sighed. “I don’t think I can do it—I don’t think I can be the Jones’s.”

Toni’s gaze was soft, and she took Jughead’s hand in her own. “Why not?”

“Because the Jones’s are a shitty couple—they shouted and fought and ripped a family in half when it didn’t suit them anymore.  They were horrible at being married.  Why would I want to do that all over again?  Why would I put another family through that?”

“You won’t,” Toni said, her voice firm. “You won’t put another family through that, Jug, because you are not your parents.”

“Oh, okay, then maybe we’ll be the Coopers and have a marriage built on secrets and lies.”

Sweet Pea was shaking his head, giving Jughead a look like he wanted to hit him. “Do you plan on becoming a serial killer or something, Jones?”

Jughead managed a small chuckle, and he shook his head. “No, I don’t.”

“Good, now get your surly ass off the ground and in the car.  We have a wedding to get to.” Sweet Pea glanced down at his phone. “And if we don’t leave now, you won’t be there in time for it.”

Jughead sighed. “Maybe that’s for the better.”

Fangs groaned, grabbing Jughead’s arm and yanking him off the ground. “Okay, enough of this nonsense.  We’re going.  Betty loves you, and you love Betty, and now you’re getting married.  Now walk.”

Rolling his eyes, Jughead let himself be pulled up and started walking. “Thanks guys.”

Toni smirked. “Anytime.”

* * *

 

“The nights are just so hard.  And the days, the days are hard too, and then it’s night again, and—”

“I get it,” Betty snapped. “The days and the nights are hard.  Look, Y/N, I’m sorry you’re going through this, but today is my _wedding_.  I love you to death, and I want to be here for you, but now’s not the time.  I need to be ready and at the hotel in an hour.”  She got up from the table to walk to the bathroom.

“Wait,” you called, shooting out of your chair.

“What?”

“Let’s go get lunch.”

“Are you kidding me?  I need to get ready.”  She turned away and walked into the bathroom. 

Your mind raced.  You hadn’t heard from anyone yet, and you were starting to lose it.  With a loud gasp, you dropped to the floor. “Betty, help!  I’ve fallen, and I can’t get up!”

“Oh, dear god.” She walked out, a makeup brush in hand. “What the hell is going on?”

You took a deep breath and stood up.  You couldn’t keep this up any longer. “Betty, I—I’m sorry about what I need to tell you.  I need you to know that we’re all here for you, no matter what happens, we’re all here for you.”

Betty’s face had dropped, but she was nodding. “What is it?”

“We can’t find Jughead—” Your phone pinged, and you saw the thumbs-up text from Toni. “-‘s vest.  We can’t find Jughead’s vest.”

Betty’s jaw dropped. “That’s it?  That’s why you’ve been so weird?”

You nodded solemnly. “It is.  I knew you wouldn’t take it well, and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it.”

“I—um—okay.” She nodded. “Well, I’m going to go finish getting ready, and don’t you dare scare me like that again.  I thought the worst happened.”

Once she was in the bathroom, you breathed a sigh of relief. “So did we.”

* * *

 

“Holy shit, I can’t believe we did it,” Toni sighed, leaning against the wall.  The two of you were standing outside of Betty’s hotel room waiting for her to finish getting ready. “We got Jughead back.”

You nodded slowly, fidgeting with the hem of your sleeve. “Now we just need to get him through the wedding.”

“Also, we never got a chance to talk about that pregnancy test.” Her eyes opened wide again. “Can you believe Betty is pregnant?”

You shook your head, your lips, pressing together. “No, I cannot.” The two of your phones buzzed. “Fuck, that’s Betty—we better head back in.”  Still trying to shake that sickening feeling, I pulled open the door, and we walked back into the room.

As soon as the door shut, Jughead slowly walked around the corner, his jaw hanging nearly to the ground. “What?” he breathed. “Betty can’t be pregnant, she—we—” Without another word, he turned and bolted down the stairs.

* * *

 

Gasping for breath, Jughead came to a stop in the hotel gift shop.  His mind was racing.  Pregnant?  Betty couldn’t be pregnant.  They had done everything right.  They weren’t ready for any of this.  Hell, he wasn’t even sure he was ready to be married, much less a father.

“Sir, can I help you with something?” The girl looking at him was no more than a teenager, than the age he and Betty had been when they started dating.

“No, I—um—” He looked down at the rack in front of him and sighed. Onesies, like the universe couldn’t help but stomp on him.  He pulled one of the tiniest ones off the hanger and held it in his hand.  It was so small, almost smaller than his hand. His lips curved into a soft smile—how could he ever be scared of something so tiny?  Of something so cute?

He looked up at the salesgirl as he put the tiny outfit back on the rack. “No, I’m good.”

* * *

 

Fangs smiled as he looked at everyone standing in front of him. “Alright, everybody, let’s get this show on the road before the groom tries to bolt again.”

Jughead and Betty’s eyes widened in mirrored expressions of shock, and they both turned to look at Fangs.

“What did you just say?” Betty demanded.

Jughead glanced nervously between his wife to be and the waiting congregation. “Bets, I—” He sighed. “Betty, look at me.”

She looked at him, her eyes threatening to brim over with tears. “Did you really try to run, Juggie?”

He cupped her cheek, smiling softly. “Betty Cooper, I love you more than you can possibly imagine, and honestly, that love terrifies me.  It scares me that I can invest so much into one person, that so much of my happiness can be wrapped up in yours.” With his other hand, he pulled her close by the waist. “What I’ve realized, though, is that that fear is okay—that it shows how much I care about you.” He pressed a gentle kiss into her lips. “I don’t want to spend my life with anyone else, Betty.  I want to spend it with you.  I love you, Betty Cooper.”

“I love you too, Jughead Jones.” Her eyes were watery again, but for an entirely different reason. “I love you too.”

Fangs smiled softly. “Well then, let’s get this show on the road.”

“Wait,” Jughead said softly, his voice so low that only they could hear. “Betty, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“What, Juggie?”

“I know about the baby, and I’m ready for it.  I’m ready to be a father, Betty.”

Her eyes shot open, and she started shaking her head frantically. “What are you talking about, Jughead?  I’m not pregnant.”

From your position as bridesmaids, you and Toni could hear every word.  Toni’s eyes widened, and she gave you a confused look.  You forced a weak smile back.

_Oh shit._


	2. The One with the Red Sweatshirt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now that Betty's confirmed she's not pregnant, you have to find a way to keep your pregnancy a secret until you can tell the father. Luckily, your friends all step in to help.

Jughead’s eyes shot open. “Wait, if you’re not pregnant, then what were Toni and Y/N talking about?” he demanded, looking over Betty’s shoulder at us.  His face was a blend of confusion and anger. “Why were you guys saying Betty was pregnant?”

At that, Betty shot around, and the whole room went quiet.  It may not have been a big wedding, but at that moment, it felt like there were a thousand eyes fixed on scene unfolding.  Your breath was caught in your throat.  Luckily, Toni sprang into action.

“It was me,” Toni said, her voice hurried and low. “We found a pregnancy test in Betty’s bathroom, but it was mine.  I panicked and tried to hide it.”

Thankfully, Toni’s voice was low enough that only those in front of the church could hear.  Across the aisle from you and Toni, the groomsmen were reacting in equally dramatic ways.  While Sweet Pea looked like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to laugh, cry, or scream, poor Archie just looked like would rather be anywhere but there.  You still couldn’t speak.  Your jaw had dropped in what surely looked like surprise, but Toni knew the truth.  You weren’t surprised that she was pregnant—you were surprised by the length she was going to in order to cover for you.

Fangs had managed to snap his mouth shut and was frantically looking at the crowd.  While they had heard bits and pieces of the conversation, no one really knew what was going on, and they were getting restless.

“Okay, well, wow.  Shit, we need to talk about this later, but right now, we need to get this wedding on the road,” Fangs managed.  He looked back at Jughead and Betty who seemed completely shaken by the new revelations. “Are you guys ready?”

“I suppose,” Betty said with a weak chuckle.

“The faster we get this over with, the better,” Jughead agreed.

“Excellent.” Fangs reached down to his waist and clicked on the mic that he had mercifully remembered to silence.  “Sorry for the slight disruption everyone.  Thank you for coming today, and…”

His words faded as your head spun.  As if hadn’t been hard enough keeping it a secret, now Toni knew, and soon, everyone would.  It’s not like she could keep the ruse going indefinitely—it would be your stomach that would start to grow, after all.  Not that you would ever ask her to do something like that.  Hell, you never would have even asked for her to cover now—she just did when you found yourself incapable of basic human speech. 

As the ceremony went on in front of you, you thought about how deep of a hole you had buried yourself in, wondered if it would be possible to crawl your way out.  More than that, though, you thought about the father—the brief, secret time you had shared.  It had been a fling born out of too much alcohol and fueled by a friendship that went so much deeper than some easy sex.  You had been the one to cut it off when you saw how fast things were moving—how much he desperately wanted to tell everyone.  It had been one of the hardest decisions of your life, and now, here you were, faced with a decision infinitely harder.

The ceremony flew by, and before you knew it, Toni was dragging you to the bathroom, shoving away questions by angrily muttering about periods.  When you were locked in the family restroom, she just stared.

“Really, Y/N?  How the hell could you lie to me about this?”

You swallowed hard, trying to work up the courage to meet her heated gaze. “I mean, it’s worth mentioning that I didn’t outright lie so much as not correct you when you made an incorrect assumption.”

“Are you kidding me?” she nearly shouted.  Then, her voice dropped to a low whisper. “I faked a pregnancy for you.  I haven’t even been with a man in close to a year—how do you plan to keep this a secret?”

“I don’t,” you sighed, sitting on the closed toilet seat and resting your head in your hands. “I can’t, not forever anyway.  I just—” your voice cracked, and a few small tears leaked out. “I guess I just wasn’t ready to admit it, not even to myself.  C’mon, T., I’m not ready to be a mother.”

Her voice took on a softer note, and she crouched down in front of the toilet to look at you. “Y/N, girl, who’s the father?”

You shook your head, crying for real now. “No, no way.  I haven’t even told him yet, so there’s no way I’m telling anyone else.”

She nodded slowly. “Okay, that’s fine.  We do need to get you cleaned up now, though.  I did just admit I was pregnant and that I blamed it on Betty, so I imagine everyone’s going to have questions and maybe a few choice words.”

“You’re right.” You let out a heavy sigh and grabbed a handful of paper towel to mop your face off. “Can you keep the ruse for a little longer?  Just a few days while I figure out how to tell the father.”

She pressed her lips into a tight line then nodded. “Fine, but I’m telling Betty the truth.”

“No need.  I will when we get a minute.”

“Okay.” She pulled you off the toilet and into her arms. “It’s going to be okay, Y/N, really.  We’re all here for you—me, Betty and Jughead, Fangs, and even Pea.”

You almost choked as you nodded into her shoulder. “I know.  Thanks, T.”

“Anytime, girl.” She smiled. “Now, let’s go face the everyone.”

* * *

 

“I just can’t believe it,” Betty mused.  Dinner had just finished, and the two of you were sitting the head table alone, everyone else having gone off to either dance or get more drinks. “How could Toni be pregnant?  Not to mention lie about it.  I mean, it’s 2018, for god’s sake—there are ways to prevent that.”

Her words cut to the core, and you had to bite your lip to stop yourself from snapping.  “Well, yeah, but accidents still happen.  You can do everything right, and sometimes things still go wrong.”

She gave you a confused look, but then a waiter came by handing out champagne.  Betty took one, gratefully downing nearly half of it before she looked up to see you swishing yours thoughtfully around the glass.  It was only a few seconds before her eyes widened in recognition—you were never one to pass up a free drink, especially on such a stressful day.

“Y/N,” she breathed, her voice dropping to a pitch so low you almost couldn’t hear it. “It wasn’t Toni’s pregnancy test in the trash, was it?”

You let out a shaky breath—in the past few years, Betty had become one of your best friends, and you couldn’t bring yourself to lie to her.  Slowly, you shook your head.

“Holy shit.” Her blue eyes were wide with shock. “Who’s—”

“I’m not telling,” you said firmly, not letting her finish the question. “He doesn’t know yet, and I’m not telling everyone else first.”

Your tone had her thinking twice about asking anything else.  Before she could break the now-awkward silence, though, Toni sat down.  Immediately sensing the tension, she gave you both a look.

“Did you—”

You nodded curtly, taking a sip of your water. “Yeah, I did.”

“Good, now we can get on to the important business.”

“What’s that?” Betty asked, perking up immediately.

“A second pregnancy test of course.” She gave you a pointed look. “I’m assuming you did just take the one, right?”

“Yeah, but what good will more do?” You were still looking longingly at the glass of champagne in front of you.  If there was any time you would kill for a drink, it was now.

“No, no, that makes sense,” Betty agreed, nodding vigorously and moving the offending alcohol across the table. “It may be a false positive—they happen sometimes.  Polly said she did like four tests just to be sure when she suspected she was pregnant with the twins.”

“And I’m already prepared,” Toni said, gesturing down at her overstuffed purse as an explanation for her disappearance. “So, Y/N, what do you say?”

You looked down at her purse, your gut clenching and unclenching at the prospect.  No matter what the answer was, you had a feeling you wouldn’t be happy. “Yeah, I’ll give it a try. Better safe than sorry, right?”

“Exactly.” Toni placed her hand reassuringly over yours. “Seriously, Y/N, everything’s going to be okay.  I promise.”

You nodded deliberately, even though you were completely sure that was a promise she’d never be able to keep.

* * *

 

 You were pacing, unable to sit down as you waited for the test to process.  Finally, the timer on your phone beeped, and you froze, your legs turning into blocks of ice.  “I can’t do it.  I can’t look.”

“I got it.” Toni crossed the bathroom and plucked the test off the sink.  Slowly, she looked down at the little screen.  Then, she looked up at you, her face perfectly unreadable. “Y/N, it’s negative.”

In an instant, your heart dropped into your stomach, and you felt like you needed to puke all over again.  “Negative,” you breathed. “Like, as in I’m _not_ pregnant.” You could feel your eyes starting to water, and your heart was racing like it wanted to beat its way out of your chest. “How can I be not pregnant?” You lowered yourself to the floor, resting back against the cool tile wall. “I felt it—I knew it—I—I—”

“But, Y/N, I thought you didn’t want to be a mom,” Betty said softly, collecting her massive skirt and crouching down next to you. “You said you weren’t ready.”

“I wasn’t,” you replied, “but I guess it was growing on me, the idea of—” your breath caught, and you started to cry again.

“Shit, Y/N,” Toni breathed, walking over to you.  Her lips had curved into a slight smile. “Good thing I was lying.”

 _“What?”_ you demanded, looking up with a start. “You lied?”

She nodded, holding out the plastic stick. “To see how you would react—to test how you really felt about the whole thing.”

You clutched the plastic stick—the small plus sign made the heaviness in your chest lift immediately. “Oh my god.  That’s a risky fucking test, Toni,” you laughed.  Your voice was still heavy with tears, but you managed a weak smile. “But wow.  I’m pregnant.”

“Yeah, you are.” She smiled and squeezed your hand gently. “Congratulations, Y/N, you’re going to be a mom.”

Betty’s smile widened, and she flopped onto the bathroom floor with you to hug you. “I know this is all so overwhelming, Y/N, but I’m so happy for you.  You’re going to be a great mom.”

Lightly, you rested your hand on your stomach.  There was no sign of anything, really.  And you weren’t even sure you could tell, or if it was all just in your head.  Either way, you knew that your baby was in there. “Shit,” you breathed. “When you grow up, kid, there’s going to be a hell of a story for you.”

Betty and Toni laughed, and you joined in surprising yourself with how okay you felt.

“So I suppose I should get back to my wedding now,” Betty laughed, pulling you to your feet with her.

“S’pose so.” You grinned, pulling them both into a hug. “Thanks, you guys.”

“Of course, Y/N,” Toni replied. “Best friends forever, remember?”

You laughed, wiping away the remains of tears from your eyes. “Best friends forever.”

* * *

 

“May I have this dance?”

There was a hand with a tattooed thumb held out in front of you.  Your lips curving into a small smile, you looked up to see the face of one of your oldest friends looking down at you. “Sure, Pea.”

He grinned and took your hand to pull you off the chair. “Good.  You’ve been entirely too boring tonight.”

Laughing, you allowed him to pull you onto the dance floor.  The night had flown by, and it was nearly time to send the happy couple off.  In the meantime, you hadn’t stopped thinking about how you would tell a man that his life was about to change forever.

“C’mon, Pea,” you replied, wrapping his arms around your neck to dance. “Between Betty and Jughead and Toni, there was no more room for excitement.”

“True enough.” He hummed along to the slow, romantic song as he led you around the floor.  Then, he looked down pensively at you. “Is everything okay, Y/N?”

You nodded, wrapping your arms more tightly around him and breathing in his painfully familiar scent. “’Course it is.  Just a long night, that’s all.”

He wasn’t convinced. “Are you sure?  You know you can tell me anything, right?  I don’t care what did and didn’t happen between us—I’m still always here for you.”

Biting your lip nearly hard enough to draw blood, you nodded. “I know.”

“So never be afraid to tell me.” The song came to a close, and it was time to send Betty and Jughead off. “Promise?”

“I promise.”

“Good.” Glancing around he placed a light kiss on your forehead. “Love you, Y/N.”

“Love you too, Pea.” Every part of you hurt as you drew apart.  You could feel the heat left behind by his lips on your forehead, and you ached to tell him the truth.  You couldn’t, though.  Not tonight.  Not when you had already broken his heart once before.  What would this mean for you?  For him?  You didn’t break up because you didn’t love each other.  It was the opposite, really.  You loved him way too much, and now, you had to break the news to him that he was going to be a father.

* * *

 

“I just don’t know how you’re going to do it, Toni,” Fangs said, shaking his head regretfully. “Being a single mom is just so hard—I watched my mom do it for so many years, and while I know she loved us and did the best she could, it was just so much work.  She never really got to have a life, to live out her dreams, to do anything but take care of us really.”

“I’ll be fine, Fangs, really,” Toni said, shooting you annoyed glances. “I’m a strong, independent, badass woman who knows what she wants and works hard to get it, and I will be an amazing mother.”

 You knew she was talking more to you than to him, but it didn’t ease the ache in your gut.  The three of you were sitting in your apartment, still reeling from the events of the previous evening.  You had a pounding headache, and you were almost certain you were nauseous.  It was like finally admitting your pregnancy gave you morning sickness.

“Well, I still don’t think you should have to go through that,” Fangs asserted.  He got up from his usual chair and started to pace. “And why won’t you tell us who the father is?”

“I told you, Fangs,” she repeated. “He’s nobody, a one-night stand.”

Fangs had a steely look on his face, but then he softened, dropping to his knees in front of Toni’s chair. “I’m not letting you do this alone, Toni.  No one should have to do this alone, especially when the guy is some deadbeat douchebag who doesn’t deserve his kids anyway.” He took a deep breath and took her hand in his. “Antoinette Marie Topaz, will you marry me?”

Her mouth gaped open, and then snapped shut. “Yes!” she sputtered. “Yes, sure, I’ll marry you.”

He grinned. “I don’t have a ring right now, but I’ll get you one.  I’ll be here for you, Toni, no matter what.”

Your jaw had dropped, and you were looking back and forth between your two friends.  It was too much for you, though.  Between the lying, the secrets, and now Fangs’s unparalleled dedication to his friends, you just couldn’t take it anymore.

“I need to go,” you blurted, already out of your chair and out the door.

Toni and Fangs were left gaping in confusion.  Toni knew why, but Fangs was dumbfounded.  “What’s that about?”

Before Toni could answer, Betty was rushing through the door, completely disregarding the fact it was shut. “Where’s Y/N going?  She looked distraught.”

 “Cooper-Jones!” Fangs greeted. “What the hell are you doing here?”

Betty rolled her eyes, setting her purse down on the table. “I was on my way home, and I saw Y/N storming out.  I was worried.”

“We desperately need some distance from this friend group,” Toni sighed, leaning back into the couch. “Remind me why we live across the hall from you guys again?”

Betty gave her friend a pointed look. “For real, though?  What happened?  Is everything okay?  Is the baby—” She cut off, realizing her mistake and giving Fangs a deer-in-the-headlights look that revealed more than her words ever could.

Fangs’s jaw dropped almost comically, and he finally got up off the ground in front of Toni. “Wait?  Is Y/N pregnant too?  Well shit, I can’t marry both of you—unless, of course, we move to Utah and become polygamists, but that would be hard because—”

“No, dumbass!” Toni said, standing up to smack him across the head. “She’s the only one who’s pregnant.”

“And you let me propose?” he demanded, throwing his hands in the air. “What kind of friend does that?  I was ready to _marry_ you!”

Toni rolled her eyes. “And I never would have let it get that far—I panicked, okay?”

“Not okay!  Not okay at all!  How can Y/N be pregnant?  Who’s the father?” Fangs was pacing now. “Because I can still marry her is he’s as much of a douchebag as Toni’s made-up one-night stand.”

“She won’t tell,” Betty sighed, ignoring Fangs’s weird marriage comments like they were absolutely nothing new. “Not until she tells the mystery man at least.”

“Mystery man…” Fangs mused, “Wait, I know who the father is!”  Without another word, he darted into his room, slamming the door shut behind him.

Betty’s eyebrows pressed together in frustration. “Was there supposed to be more to that?  Like, a name, maybe?”

“Fuck if I know,” Toni replied, walking to the fridge to pull out a beer. “I still stand by it, though.  We all need some space.  I vote we kick Fangs out to live with Pea, and Y/N and I get our own place in a different building somewhere reasonably far from Manhattan.”

Before Betty could reply, Fangs stormed back out, something red in his hands. “I know who the father is!”

“You’ve mentioned,” Betty drawled, “care to share your findings in a way that makes sense to the rest of us?”

“Well, see that’s the thing.  I don’t know _who_ he is—I just know that this is his sweatshirt.” Fangs spread the sweatshirt out on the kitchen table.  It was a New York Red Bulls Soccer hoodie, something that literally anyone in New York might own.

Betty’s jaw had dropped, though, and she was shaking her head in awe. “I know who that belongs to.”

“No way,” Toni said. “It’s just a Red Bulls sweatshirt—it could be anybody’s.”

“But it’s not,” Betty asserted. “Trust me, I know who the father is.”

* * *

 

“Wait, what?” you demanded into your phone. “You want me to meet you at the coffee shop?  Why?” 

 _“Just because,”_ Betty insisted. _“Would I do this if it weren’t important?”_

“I don’t know—maybe.”

_“Just get over here, Y/N.  Seeing as I’m almost positive you’re just wandering around Battery Park being mopey, it’s really the best thing for you.”_

With a muted groan, you looked up at the blurry image of the Statue of Liberty in the distance.  You didn’t want her to know she was right. “Fine.  I need to catch the subway, but I’ll be there soon.”

_“Good.  See you then.”_

“See you then.” You hung up the phone and slid it into your pocket.  These mopey walks through Battery Park had been a recent development, so you were impressed that Betty had picked up on it so quickly.  Sighing, you sat down on a bench, trying not to let the memories of the place overtake you—it had been the location of yours and Sweet Pea’s first date, after all. “How the fuck did I mess this up so badly, baby?” you muttered, rubbing a hand lightly over your stomach. “I really hope this is a funny story for you one day.”

Before you could drift deeper into memories, your phone buzzed aggressively.  Betty was texting you again, demanding that you hurry up.  Not wanting to keep her waiting, you hauled yourself to your feet and set off for the subway.

~

When you walked up to your favorite coffee shop, you were immediately greeted outside the front door by an energetic-looking Betty. “Jeez, Y/N, took you long enough.”

“What’s going on, Betts?  You’re being super weird.”

She took a deep breath. “We know who the father is.”

Your mouth gaped open, and you started shaking your head. “No way—how did you find out?”

“Fangs found a sweatshirt that he left behind, and I recognized it right away.  I mean, the guy wears it all the time.”

Your heart felt like it was going to beat right out of your chest.  _A sweatshirt?  They found him from a goddamn sweatshirt?_ “So you know.” Your voice was low and heavy.

“And I know you may not want to deal with it now, but you need to, Y/N.  You need to deal with it.” She bit her lip, starting to look nervous. “So, I brought him here.”

“You brought him here?” you demanded. “What the actual fuck, Betty?”

“Y/N, you need to face this.” Her jaw was set sternly. “You can’t leave him hanging on this forever.”

You weren’t about to admit that she was right. “Fine,” you huffed, steeling yourself for the upcoming conversation. “I’ll talk to him, today.”

“Good.” Her smile returned, and she pulled you in close for a quick hug. “I’m proud of you, Y/N.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, girl gets pregnant, keeps it a secret, weaves a web of lies, and lets other people take the fall, what a person to be proud of.”

“You’ve got this,” she encouraged, grabbing your hand and pulling you into the coffee shop.  The warm, familiar smell of coffee overcame you, and you felt more at ease than you did just a minute earlier.  Maybe you did have this—he was one of your best friends, after all.  How hard could it—

“Reggie Mantle?”

“Hey, Y/N.” His smile was charming as he stood up to greet you with a casual hug. “It’s so good to see you—you look great.”

Your jaw had fallen open, and you looked back at Betty with shock. “Mantle?  You think it was Reggie Mantle?”

Her eyes widened, and she pulled the sweatshirt out of her bag, frantically holding it up for our inspection.  “But, I—the sweatshirt, it’s—”

“This one?” Reggie asked, unzipping his coat with confusion to reveal a matching red sweatshirt. “What about it?”

“I have fucked up,” Betty said plainly. “And I am sorry.” Without another word, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the coffee shop leaving you and Reggie confused in her wake.

“So, um, what’s this about?” he asked.

You shook your head, pinching the bridge of your nose in an attempt to ward off what was sure to be a brutal headache. “Betty made a mistake.”

“Well, then.” He grinned again, running his hand through his already perfectly-styled hair. “It’s been too long, Y/N, how do you feel about getting dinner sometime, maybe—”

You held up a hand to silence him. “Reggie, I’m pregnant, and it’s not yours.”

Slowly, he nodded. “That’s definitely not how this conversation has gone for me in the past.” He chuckled slightly. “Congratulations, Y/N.”

“Yeah, that.” A deep tiredness overcame you, and you wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed.

“I’ll see you later, Y/N.”

“See you later, Reggie.”

* * *

 

“You idiots,” you fumed, storming into the apartment. “What the hell was that all about?”

“I really am sorry, Y/N,” Betty pleaded. “It’s just that you were dating him for a while, and he did have the sweatshirt in my defense and all—”

“And you.” You rounded on Fangs, cutting Betty off. “Why on earth would you keep a sweatshirt that some guy I slept with left behind?  Who _does_ that?”

He raised his hands in surrender. “It’s a good sweatshirt, Y/N.  I would have worn it if it wasn’t so damn big on me.”

You groaned loudly, rolling your eyes. “This is just too much.  I’m taking a nap, and I don’t want anyone to bother me unless the apartment building is literally burning down.”  Without waiting for a response, you hurried into your room, flopping on the bed and burying your head in the pillow in one motion.

* * *

 

As Y/N’s door slammed, there was a knock on the front door.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Toni groaned. “Who now?” She hauled herself off the couch and to the door where she opened it to reveal Sweet Pea.  While she gaped, he strolled in, unconcerned with whatever had been going on before he entered.

“Is Y/N here?” he asked, looking around. “Jughead and I were cleaning up at the venue today, and we found this.” He held up a wallet that Toni recognized immediately as her roommate’s.  She must have been too stressed by the pregnancy to even notice it was missing.

“She’s—”

Betty cut off Fangs with a slap to his mouth. “She’s out.”

Sweet Pea nodded, setting the wallet on the counter. “Well, make sure she gets it.  I have to get to work.”

“Sure thing,” Toni answered brusquely.

Just as he was about to leave, Sweet Pea saw the sweatshirt still sitting on the coffee table. “Oh man, I’ve been looking for that forever.” He grabbed it off the table and tossed it over his shoulder. “Must have left it here sometime.  See you guys later.”

“See you later, man,” Fangs replied, still oblivious to what ha just happened.  As soon as the door shut, Toni and Betty burst out in a flurry of chattery shrieks. “Wait, what—” His eyes widened, and he looked between the front door and Y/N’s bedroom door. “Holy mother of shit, Sweet Pea’s the father!”

* * *

 

As Sweet Pea left work that night, his phone was lit up with five text messages.  All of them were from Y/N.

_Sweets, are you working tonight?_

_Shit, you must be.  Sorry._

_What time do you get off?_

_Are you doing anything after?_

_We need to talk._

As he read, his heart sank deeper and deeper into his stomach.  Talk?  What could she possibly want to talk about?  It had been nearly two months since they’d broken up, and it still hurt every damn time he saw her.  Whatever it was, though, he had to be there for her—he’d promised.  On that day she’d broken up with him for no good reason at all, he’d promised he’d always be there for her.  Dating or not, she was one of his oldest friends, one of his best friends, and he couldn’t bear the thought of letting her down.

Sighing, he opened her contact and hit Reply.

_On my way._

* * *

 

There was a knock on your door, and you grunted in response.  Sweet Pea was still at work, so it had to be one of your roommates.

“Hey, Y/N, can we talk?” Fangs asked, his voice soft.

You rolled over, surprised by his gentle tone.  Normally, Fangs was the one who kept everything light, the one who made everything feel better.  At that moment, though, you weren’t so sure. “What’s up?”

He sat down at the foot of the bed and ran his hand through his messy hair. “We know it’s Sweet Pea.”

Your heart dropped, and you felt your eyes start to water.  Your voice barely came out above a whisper. “Does he know?”

“No, of course not,” Fangs said, shaking his head.  He crawled up the bed to sit next to you, wrapping his arm around you to let you rest your head on his shoulder.  If Sweet Pea had been your oldest friend, Fangs was a close second. “I would never tell him.”

“Thank you,” you murmured, breathing in his familiar scent. “What am I going to do, Fangs?”

“What can you do?  You have to tell him.”

“Of course I’ll tell him—what kind of person would I be to keep that a secret?”

“I know, I know,” Fangs soothed, running his hand gently through your hair. “He’s not going to freak out, Y/N.  I mean, the guy’s in love with you.”

You shot upwards. “How do you know that?”

He quirked an eyebrow. “Did you really think my two best friends could date without me knowing?  Let’s be real, Y/N.  I knew.  I think we all knew—except maybe Jughead, dude’s a little oblivious when it comes to anything but Betty.”

Your lips curved into a smirk. “But you didn’t know who the sweatshirt belonged to?”

He groaned. “I’m an absolute moron, I know.  We all have our moments.”

You rolled your eyes and pulled him in close for a hug. “Thanks, Fangs.  This means a lot to me.”

“Good.  And remember, he may be my best friend, but I will kick the shit out of him if he hurts you.” He smirked. “And my offer of marriage still stands.”

You laughed harder, resting your head on his shoulder. “Fangs, I would not mind being married to you at all, but I think I need to work out my shit with Pea first.”

“Oh yeah, for sure.” He smiled, that charming, comforting grin. “Good luck, Y/N.”

“Thanks, Fangs.”

* * *

 

The next time there was a knock on the door, you were ready.  You had washed your face, pulled your hair into a bun, and did everything you could to clear your head.  Of course, that was impossible, but you did your best.  When you heard the knock, your nerves skyrocketed. _It’s only Sweet Pea,_ you said to yourself. _It’s only Sweet Pea._

“Come in.”

Sweet Pea walked in—he was still in his fitted black button-down and slacks from work.  He managed an impressively popular bar, and it was quickly turning into the place to be in Manhattan.  It was a wonder he was off work this early at all, but you weren’t about to question it.

“Y/N, what’s going on?” he asked, sitting down at the foot of the bed. “Is everything okay?”

“I don’t know,” you admitted, barely able to look at him.  You could swear you felt the beginnings of a little life in your stomach, and it only made you more nauseous. “I just don’t know.”

He sensed the depth of your stress immediately and scooted closer, taking you in his arms. “You can talk to me, Y/N.  What is it?”

“I’m pregnant, Pea,” you said, your eyes heavy with tears. “And it’s yours.”

His eyes widened, and you could feel his heart starting to race. “Wait, what?  What about—Toni—and—” he stuttered. “I—um—how—we used a _condom_.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle slightly. “Pea, they’re only like 97% effective.”

He stood up in rush.  “ _What?_ Why the hell don’t they say that on the box?”

“They do,” you commented.  Somehow, his misplaced panic had the effect of calming you down. “Like, on the front in big letters.”

He threw his hands in the air and turned back to face you. “So.” His voice had dropped back down to an almost inaudible level. “We’re going to be parents.”

You nodded as he dropped to his knees in front of you, putting you closer to eye level. “Y/N, I love you more than anyone I’ve ever loved before.  This may be absolutely insane, and you may not even want this, but I want to be here for you.  Not just the baby—you.  If you’ll have me, I’ll stick with you through whatever comes.”

“Pea.” You cupped his cheeks and pulled him to his feet with you. “This is a huge commitment—a baby’s for life, and I’m stuck with it, but you don’t have to be”

“Y/N, I’m not sure you’re getting this.  My love for _you_ is for life.  I don’t give a damn how scared we were, how much shit our friends will give us.  I love you, Y/N, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.”  His deep brown eyes seemed to be looking straight through you, through every wall you had ever built to keep him out.

“I love you too, Sweet Pea.” Slowly, you stood up on your tiptoes and pressed your lips into his.  He was hesitant at first, holding back, so you wrapped your arms around his neck, pulling yourself closer.  Then, he let loose completely, tangling his hands into your hair and holding you as close as he could.  His lips parted yours, and he kissed you deeply, longingly, like he’d wanted to do nothing more since the day you broke his heart. 

“We’re going to get through this, Y/N,” he said breathlessly. “I promise.  From now until the day I die, I will be here for you and this baby.”

Your smile felt like it would be permanently stuck on your face. “There’s nothing I’d like more.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! If you enjoyed this, check out my other stories in The Southside Serpents as F.R.I.E.N.D.S. series.


	3. The One with the Ultrasound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s your first doctor’s appointment after discovering your pregnancy, and you have a hard time seeing what’s on the sonogram. Lucky for you, Sweet Pea’s there for you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After months of sleeping on this fic, I finally have a Part Three! It is a bit shorter than the first two (by a lot), but I just knew I had to include it since it's one of my favorite Friends scenes of all time.
> 
> Enjoy!

You were staring at the appointment confirmation on your phone, your heart racing.  The coffee next to you had been left untouched since you poured it—probably for the best seeing as you were already on the verge of an anxiety attack.

“You need to stop looking at that, Y/N,” Sweet Pea said as he walked out of the bathroom.  He was wearing nothing but boxers, using a towel to dry off his hair.

“I can’t stop looking, Pea.  I have an appointment with an OB/GYN for fuck’s sake—that’s terrifying.”

He gently wrapped his arms around your waist, kissing the back of your neck. “Relax, babe.  It’s going to be okay.  I’ll be right there.”

You sighed and dropped your head on the cool countertop.  Just yesterday, you and Sweet Pea weren’t dating, much less discussing your future raising a kid together.  As soon as you told him about the pregnancy, though, he didn’t hesitate.  You had even spent the night together for the first time since he got you in this situation in the first place.  

You looked up, meeting his warm brown eyes with your own. “Pea, I just—what if the doctor tells me it was all a false alarm, that I went through all of this stress and heartache for nothing?  What would I do?”

He sat down next to you, turning you in your seat to face him. “I don’t know, Y/N.  Honestly, I don’t know what you would do.  All I know is that you’re not getting rid of me again.”

“Promise?” you asked, your lips curving into a small smile.

“Promise.” Holding your chin, he pulled you in close for a kiss. “Now, I need to get dressed.  I doubt the doctor would be pleased with me showing up in boxers and a towel.”

“No, probably not.” You kissed him again, never wanting to stop again. “I should get dressed too.”

Sweet Pea glanced at what you were wearing—short pajama shorts and a tank top. “I mean, this isn’t bad.”

“Go get dressed, Pea.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With a wink, he turned back towards the bedroom to recover his clothes from the night before.  You rolled your eyes, finally taking a sip of your coffee.

* * *

The appointment went by in a daze—it was one straight hour of questions, answers, blood tests, and information, and by the time you finally got to the ultrasound, your brain was basically mush.  Thankfully, Sweet Pea had been listening intently, only letting go of your hand when he needed to make a note of something on the massive stack of papers the doctor had given you.  You didn’t know what you would have done without him.

You adjusted your position on the uncomfortable examination bed, propping yourself up on your elbows. “So, Sweet Pea, I’m dead serious.  If this is going to be too much—”

“Babe, say that one more time and I’m going to—” He paused, realizing that he didn’t know how to finish his threat. “Okay, I don’t know what I’m going to do, but I’m sure as hell not leaving.”

The nurse who was prepping you chuckled. “Alright, Y/N, are you comfortable?”

You looked at the awkward position they made you lay in and shrugged. “I guess.”

She nodded and started toward the door. “The doctor will be with you in just a moment.”

Still holding the massive stack of papers you had accumulated, Sweet Pea pulled up a chair and sat down next to you. “How are you feeling?”

“Fine.” You took his hand in yours and held it tightly. “Honestly, now that I know you’re here, I feel like having this baby might just be okay.”

“Okay?” he scoffed. “Our kid will be spectacular.  Between my good looks and your brains, they’ll pretty much have it all.”

You couldn’t help but laugh at his carefree attitude, even though you still had some doubts. “What about work?  How will we deal with someone being home with them?”

“Easy one, babe.  You work days already, and I can move my shifts at the bar later.  I could also do earlier.  You see, I am the manager, so I can kind of do whatever I want.” He smirked, running his hand through his hair.

“Okay, okay, that’s not an issue.  What about—”

“Babe, relax,” he said, cutting you off. “That’s all months away.  Right now, we’re just going to sit here, relax, and let the nice doctor show us a picture of the baby.”

As if on cue, there was a knock, and the doctor walked in.

“Ms. Y/L/N?” she asked.

“That’s me.”

She shook your hand. “Great to meet you—I’m Dr. Long.”

“And this is Sweet Pea, the father.”

If she thought anything of his name, she didn’t show it.  Instead, she got to work setting up the ultrasound and squeezing the gel on your stomach.  For a moment, she just kind of moved it around, snapping pictures of the shapeless gray blobs on the machine’s screen.  You wondered what she was seeing there.

“All right then, everything looks good.” She adjusted the screen so it was pointing toward you and Sweet Pea, and you both looked closely. “Here’s your uterus,” she said, gesturing at one of the bigger gray blobs. “And right here is your baby.”

“Oh my God,” Sweet Pea breathed, clutching your hand tighter. “There they are.”

“Yup,” you said, your voice wavery. “There they are.”

“Congratulations.” Dr. Long smiled warmly. “I’ll give you two a minute.”

As soon as the door shut, your emotions overcame you, and you burst out in a flood of tears.

“Pretty amazing, huh?” Sweet Pea asked, a dopey, oblivious smile still on his face.

“No,” you replied, your voice breaking.

“What is it, babe?” He gripped your hand tighter, a flash of concern dimming his smile.

“I don’t see it.”

“What do you mean you don’t see it?”

“I mean I can’t see our baby, you dumbass!  What else would  _it_ be?”

His eyes widened, and he stumbled over his response. “What do you mean? You just said that you saw it.”

“I lied!” you replied. “I lied because I didn’t want the doctor to think I was already a terrible mother.  I can’t even see my own baby!”

Sweet Pea’s expression shifted around, his lips moving silently as he tried to formulate a response that would make you feel better. “Okay, come here.” Gently, he scooted you into a more upright position, angling the screen directly at you. “Babe, of course, you can see it.  See, right here.” He pointed at a section of they grey blob that looked like it might be a darker grey blob.

“Oh my gosh, you’re right, I can see it now.”

“Really?”

“No, you idiot, of course not!  It’s just a bunch of grey blobs on a grainy-ass screen!”

“Babe, I need you to calm down,” he said, his voice low. “We don’t need the doctor to think you’re having a meltdown in here.”

“I  _am_  having a meltdown in here!”

“Come on, now, you’ve got this.  See this tiny blob that looks kind of like a peanut?”  He was pointing at the screen again.

You wiped your eyes and nodded. “Yeah.”

“Babe, that’s it.  That’s our baby.”

“Wait, that’s  _it?_  That tiny thing—well, shit, I saw that the first time.” You tossed your arms around him, pulling yourself close and trying to slow your breathing. “Thank you, Sweet Pea.”

“Anytime,” he said, shaking his head amusedly.

Smiling, you looked back at the screen. “So that’s our baby?”

“Yeah.” He took your hand in his and lifted it to his mouth for a kiss. “That’s our baby.”

* * *

“Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I need to see the baby picture!” Toni exclaimed, rushing across the kitchen to greet you as soon as you got back from the doctor. “How was everything?”

“Good,” you replied, fishing the images out of your bag. “All healthy and normal.”

“Awesome.” She took the picture and looked closely.  Behind her, Fangs had walked up and was looking over her shoulder.

His eyebrows furrowed, and he looked up at you and Sweet Pea. “Where’s the baby?”

“Oh, I couldn’t see it either at first,” you jumped in, leaning over to point it out. “See, it’s right—” Your voice broke, and you felt your eyes start to water. “Sweet Pea, I lost it again.”

Wrapping you in his arms, he took the picture and kissed the top of your head. “I know, babe.  It’s okay.”

Fangs shot Toni an inquisitive look and lowered his voice to a whisper. “This is going to be a long nine months, isn’t it?”

“Asshole—I’m pregnant, not deaf!”

Sweet Pea held you close as your sobs started anew.  As he looked over your shoulder at Fangs, all he could do was shake his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If you liked this, be sure to check out my other Southside Serpents as Friends fics.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks so much for reading!!


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